..The factors related to the progression of mild aortic stenosis (AS) remain unknown. We wanted to evaluate the long-term outcomes and predictors of echocardiographic progression in patients with mild AS...

..The optimal timing of surgical intervention in asymptomatic patients with severe mitral regurgitation is unclear. We therefore compared the long-term results of early surgery with a conventional treatment strategy...

..The proper way of revascularization remains controversial in patients with ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR). We sought to compare the long-term results of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and surgical revascularization in IMR...

..The optimal timing of surgical intervention remains controversial in asymptomatic patients with very severe aortic stenosis. We therefore compared the long-term results of early surgery and a conventional treatment strategy...

Efficacy of myocardial contrast echocardiography in the diagnosis and risk stratification of acute coronary syndrome

..1.3 mm(2), respectively (P < 0.001). In conclusion, compared with the changes of vessel shrinkage in the control group, significant vessel enlargement occurred in the nonstented adjacent segments that received radiation therapy...

..The correlation between the extent of extra-stent plaque proliferation and that of intimal hyperplasia (IH) in in-stent restenosis in patients who received beta-radiation therapy as well as conventional therapy has also not been studied...

Usefulness of ventricular longitudinal contractility assessed by Doppler tissue imaging in the prediction of reverse remodeling in patients with severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction

..0 +/- 0.6%). Diastolic asynchrony was the only independent factor that correlated with LVEF (r = -0.64, p <0.001). Thus, idiopathic LBBB with LV dysfunction is characterized not only by systolic but also by diastolic asynchrony...

..In conclusions, using the relative measurement of IVUS criteria, the occurrence of angiographic restenosis might not be predicted. The absolute measurement of IVUS stent area was the predictor of angiographic restenosis...

Impact of heart failure with normal ejection fraction on the occurrence of ischaemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation

..33). The overall survival rate of apical HCM was as high as that of asymmetric HCM, but the cardiac survival rate was significantly lower in patients with asymmetric HCM. Beta-blocker use was associated with better long-term outcomes. ..

..The preferred choice of annuloplasty ring in mitral surgery has not yet been determined. The study aim was to compare the effects of using two ring types, the Duran and the Carpentier-Edwards, for degenerative mitral valve repair...

Impact of early surgery on embolic events in patients with infective endocarditis

..Postsystolic thickening (PST) of ischemic myocardial segments has been reported to account for the characteristic heterogeneity or regional asynchrony of myocardial wall motion during acute ischemia...

Aortopathy and bicuspid aortic valve: haemodynamic burden is main contributor to aortic dilatation

..Because stress-induced cardiomyopathy (SIC) is increasingly being observed during routine daily practice, we sought to explore the clinical features and factors that determine the outcome of SIC in a tertiary referral hospital...

..17). In conclusion, the presence of retinopathy might be a predictor of mortality after PCI in DM patients; however, it might not be related to the development of other major cardiac and cerebrovascular events...

..The geometric and hemodynamic determinants of functional tricuspid regurgitation (FTR) have not yet been established. Geometric alterations in the tricuspid valve can be accurately determined using 3-dimensional echocardiography...

..7) also was independent predictor. Valve repair is highly feasible in selected patients with rheumatic mitral regurgitation, and clinical course is not significantly different from that of patients with degenerative mitral regurgitation...

..Consequently, studies regarding plaque rupture, which occurred in SAP patients, are rare. Therefore, we evaluated the frequency and axial location of plaque ruptures in SAP patients and compared them with those in ACS patients...

Long-term prognosis of isolated significant tricuspid regurgitation

Jeong Woo LeeDivision of Cardiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South KoreaCirc J 74:375-80. 2010

..The goal of this study was to assess the prognostic value of ergonovine echocardiography (Erg Echo) for diagnosis of coronary vasospasm (CVS) in patients without significant fixed coronary stenosis...

..Clinical implications of the initial echocardiographic characteristics of pericardial effusion (PE) have not been clearly demonstrated. We sought to evaluate the clinical significance of echogenic materials in PE...

Factors determining outcomes of aortic valve surgery in patients with aortic regurgitation due to Behçet's disease: impact of preoperative echocardiographic features

..EFS by TEE is not rare in patients with type B AIH. It is not a poor prognostic factor and is not associated with the development of AD...

Apical rotation assessed by speckle-tracking echocardiography as an index of global left ventricular contractility

Won Jang KimCardiology and Laboratory of Animal Research, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South KoreaCirc Cardiovasc Imaging 2:123-31. 2009

..Left ventricular (LV) apical rotation and twist can be estimated noninvasively by speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE). In this study, we tested whether apical rotation is an accurate index of LV contractility...

..Although less frequently, an association between thromboembolic events and carbon monoxide poisoning has been shown in the literatures. In this case, we report a case of atrial thrombus associated with carbon monoxide poisoning...

..Based on thrombus location and nature and anatomic features of aorta and cerebral arteries, we hypothesized that cardiogenic embolisms (CE) and aortogenic embolisms (AE) might have different right-left propensity and lesion patterns...

A Case of Loeffler's Endocarditis Associated with Churg-Strauss Syndrome

..The echocardiogram showed that biventricular failure with large thrombus in left ventricle. His symptoms and typical echocardiographic findings markedly improved within 2 months after treatment for Churg-Strauss syndrome...